Jealous
by MadgeWriter
Summary: AU. Jealous Universe. After having her entire family stripped away from her, Nala journeys to her mother's birth pride. There, she meets the King of a healing land who welcomes her, but not without some skepticism at first. Everyone is friendly enough, welcoming even; all but one. When the King takes an interest in Nala, jealousy brews, threatening to tear the entire Pride apart.
1. Prologue

**Jealous**

**Authored By: MadgeWriter**

* * *

_.i don't own the lion king._

* * *

-Prologue-

Sighing heavily, Nala returned to the cave she'd called home for the last few weeks. She was alone, all alone now that her parents and brother were gone. That terrible night still replayed in the back of her mind every time the thought of Mheetu, her mother and her father crossed her mind. Her father had woken her out of her sleep in the dead of night and told her to run when Mheetu had returned, bloodied and beaten to within an inch of his life. The King of the Riverside Pride had ordered their deaths when Nala refused to become the Prince's mate. Nala had gotten away in time, thanks to her father. But he and her mother weren't so lucky. When they didn't come looking for her after days of waiting, she concluded the worst had happened and they had died trying to protect her. Three full moon cycles had come to pass since then.

Guilt washed over the creamy lioness as she continued her trek to her makeshift home. She remembered from a time when she was young, her father had always told her if anything were to ever happen to them, she was to go to her mother's birth Pride. The Pride Lands was a five-day trek away from the territory of the Riverside Pride, where Nala had been born. By her calculations, she was maybe half a day's walk away from the start of the Pride Lands territory. And if they were as welcoming as her mother and father had told her, she would be absolutely safe there from the Riverside Pride's reach. She wouldn't have to look over her shoulder at every turn and could live her life peacefully.

The antelope calf that she had caught hung from her jaws as she entered the cave. It landed with a _thud_ when she dropped it before lying down behind it. She ate quietly, thinking over her options. She could remain in the cave where she currently resided. Or, she could walk the remaining distance to the Pride Lands and seek refuge there. After much deliberation and finishing her meal, the creamy lioness decided to finish the journey to her mother's birth Pride. She would set out at dawn. But for now, she needed to rest.

"I've stayed safe for this long, Mom, Dad, Mheetu," Nala murmured as she glanced up at the night sky through the mouth of the cave. A single tear rolled down her cheek; making a home in the dirt beneath her. "But I can't stay here forever. I'm going to the Pride Lands tomorrow. Hopefully, they're as welcoming as you said they would be."

With a heavy sigh, the young lioness closed her eyes and drifted off to a restless sleep. She had a long journey ahead of her in the morning and she needed to get as much sleep as she could get.

* * *

**tiny start. chapters get wayyyyy longer. simba and co make an appearance in the next chapter. i hope y'all actually enjoy this as much as i'm enjoying writing it so far. until next time, y'all.**


	2. Chapter One

**as promised, here is an update for y'all. sorry about the delay. enjoy.**

* * *

**Jealous**

**Authored By: MadgeWriter**

* * *

._i don't own the lion king_.

* * *

-1-

"Do I have to do this," the auburn maned King asked, biting his tongue lightly. Hard enough to feel a light pressure, but not enough to draw blood. "It's embarrassing, Mom."

"As with every new King, you are no exception to the coronation ceremony, Simba," his mother informed him as she fussed over his appearance.

Only a short while had passed since his return from a false exile. He'd been led to believe, for so many years, that he was the cause of his father's death, when in reality, it had been his uncle that caused the late King's demise. And all because he'd wanted to be King in Mufasa's place. There wasn't a day that went by that mother and son missed the former King. The way his voice would boom throughout the den when he was having but a simple conversation. The almost purring like sound he would make when he slept. But most of all, the security everyone would feel in his presence.

Mufasa had been a fair ruler in his time as King. The subjects of the Pride Lands adored him, as well as his Queen and the young Prince. And it had been felt throughout the entire land when they'd heard of his confirmed passing and Simba's disappearance. Despite now knowing the truth Simba couldn't help but feel a little guilty for what had happened. If only he hadn't been so naïve as to believe his Uncle all that time ago. If only he'd just stayed with his mother and been wary of the black maned lion as she had warned him many times over, maybe his father would still be here. Maybe he would be a different lion. Maybe he would be ready to take on the responsibility of leading the Pride. Maybe he would be ready to be the King everyone expected him to be.

"You're thinking about your father again, aren't you, Simba," his mother asked, knowing scarlet eyes staring back into his own.

"I miss him," Simba admitted, eyes cast to the side, away from his mother. "When I was a cub, I always thought that I'd be sharing this day with him when both he and I felt that I was ready to take over as King. I always thought that he would be here to witness my coronation. And to pass on his knowledge of how to run a kingdom. I don't want to be the weak link. I want this kingdom to flourish as much as it had when he was King. I don't want to be another Scar."

"You will never be Scar," his mother affirmed sternly, stomping her paw against the rocky ground. "You will be ten times the King Scar was. And do you know why that is, Simba?" He shook his head, he truly didn't know what she meant by that. "Because you are your father's son. He lives in you. His physical body may be gone, but he is always with you. As are all the great Kings that came before him. They will always be there to guide you when you feel you need it most. As will I. You are not alone in this."

Simba could only nod, leaning forward to nuzzle his mother affectionately. She'd always had a gift for saying the right thing when he needed to hear it. That had not changed even in his four-year absence. He pulled away, prepared to speak when someone cleared their throat, catching the attention of both the Queen mother and the soon to be crowned King.

"Forgive me for interrupting, Queen Sarabi, Prince Simba" a lioness sporting a beige coat and a hair tuff atop her head, said as she bowed.

"It is fine, Tama," the mother, Sarabi, said offering a smile to the younger lioness. "What is it?"

"It is time," the lioness, Tama, informed the duo. "Rafiki has arrived and awaits your presence."

"I see, thank you Tama," Sarabi hummed, nodding for her to go. "Please inform Rafiki that he may begin the ceremony."

"Of course, Queen Sarabi," Tama said as she turned to leave.

She didn't see Sarabi roll her eyes at how formal she was being. During her reign at Mufasa's side, she'd preferred their subjects not use such formalities with her. Mufasa had been the same way. Only when it was on official diplomatic matters did they request their titles be used. She wondered if Simba would be the same way. Her head turned, a small smile playing on her muzzle when she heard the elephants begin their trumpeting, indicating the start of the ceremony.

"You know what to do, my son," Sarabi said, nuzzling the male before she turned to leave the den first.

Simba took a deep breath, holding his head high as he awaited his cue. Everything was changing so fast. He'd only just returned to the Pride Lands three moons before to overthrow his Uncle and save the lionesses from disaster when his friends found him living in the jungle oasis he'd called home for many years. It'd taken quite a bit of convincing for him to come back. In the end, it had been Tama's plea for help and the guidance of his father's spirit that made him come home.

_Are you proud of me, Dad,_ Simba wondered to himself. Only a moment later, he heard the signal that was cue to go. In only a few short minutes, he would become King. The Pride would look to him for guidance and he silently prayed to his father and the other Great Kings of the Past that he was up to the task that had loomed over him since his birth.

One paw in front of the other, he walked with grace to the end of the promontory where his mother and their shaman, Rafiki, waited. Sarabi beamed with pride as she watched Rafiki perform as ritual she'd only seen one other time, when her late mate became King: crowning her only son the new King of the Pride Lands. The uproar from the animals that called their Kingdom home was deafening, but she didn't mind. It was better than the ominous silence that had followed Scar's coronation all that time ago. And she welcome the noise with open arms.

"Long live King Simba!"

She joined in the cheers of the other animals, offering Simba an encouraging wink when he glanced at her. She could see the fear in his eyes. Fear that he would fail. But she had faith that he would flourish as King. And soon, that initial fear would subside. Then came the real test. Finding him a suitable mate. She wouldn't start the search right away. She would allow him time to adjust to being King before springing the mate thing on him. Usually, before becoming King, or Queen in cases where the heir was female, the future King or Queen would have to find a mate before this ceremony would be performed. But given the circumstances, both she and Rafiki had decided to make an exception to that rule.

She'd been so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't notice Rafiki had come to stand beside her; his staff tucked safely between his arm and body. When he spoke, he'd almost startled her. Almost.

"De boy will make a great King," Rafiki mused. "But he will need a Queen. In cases like this, de new King is allowed one year's time to find a Queen himself before one is chosen for him by de Queen Mo'der."

"I was just thinking about that," Sarabi said, turning her head to look at the old mandrill. "I'll give him time to settle into his new role as King before I pressure him into finding a mate. The life of a King is not at all the easiest thing to adjust to. He will need a few moons to do so before he can focus on finding a suitable mate."

"I agree," Rafiki hummed thoughtfully. "I will pray that he is able to find a suitable mate on his own. An arranged mateship is not de most pleasant thing to deal with."

Sarabi grimaced. She knew all too well how undesirable an arranged mateship was. If it had not been for her mother and father taking herself and her sisters away from their birth Pride when they had, she'd have been tethered to an abusive King and probably would not still be breathing if that had happened. "We will pray to the Kings above that he is successful in finding a mate he loves."

"Mm," Rafiki hummed his agreement, both watching as the herds continued to cheer on their new King.

Elsewhere, a young lioness mourned the deaths of her parents and brother; fighting with herself about whether she should go to her mother's birth Pride. Or try to take care of herself on her own.

…

**Three Moons Later**

It was mid-day before she saw the magnificent rock structure that rest in the centre of the Pride Lands. She'd always heard that Pride Rock had a majestic beauty about it, but she'd never expected this. At first glance, everything looked to be picture perfect. But, as her blue-green eyes roamed on, she could see patches of land that looked to be healing. And she had to wonder, what had happened?

She continued to walk, blue-green eyes surveying the area that had once been her mother's home. Even with the healing patches of land, it was still even more beautiful than her original home had ever been. She could see herds of every kind grazing, frolicking and just enjoying being alive. She'd yet to see any lions, however. She wondered where the Pride was. Surely someone would be out patrolling the lands at least, wouldn't they?

"Stop right there," she heard a voice suddenly demand.

Stopping, the creamy lioness glanced to her left where three lionesses stood; each poised to attack should they need to. It had been the beige lioness with the hair tuff that had spoken initially. Nala swallowed, not sure if she should run or try to reason with these lionesses. They seemed pretty hostile for some reason. Maybe her parents had been wrong, and the Pride Landers weren't as welcoming as they'd made them seem.

"Who are you and what are you doing trespassing on these lands," another lioness, this one sporting an almost white pelt and crystal blue eyes, demanded.

"I… uh," Nala stammered, fearing for her life.

Maybe she would be joining her mother, father, and brother sooner than she originally thought. She was hopelessly outnumbered here. With it being three against one, the odds definitely didn't fall in her favour.

"What's going on here," a male voice boomed as he and another lioness stepped forward.

Nala swallowed again. A male _and_ another lioness? She was really screwed now. She felt every bit the cub she wished she could be at that moment. If only her mother and father or even just her brother had been alive still. Maybe then she'd have a fighting chance of getting out of this alive.

"Who are you," the male demanded when he realized who the other three lionesses had been facing off with. "Why are your trespassing on these lands? Trespassing is punishable by…"

"Simba, wait," the new female said, silencing who Nala assumed, was the King of this land.

Stepping forward, the tawny lioness never tore her eyes away from the creamy female. It was almost as if she were looking at Nala as if she knew her. She only stopped when she was only a few centimetres away from Nala, sitting on her hunches to study the other female closely.

"Queen Mother, please, don't get too close to her," the beige lioness with the hair tuff said, caution clouding her voice.

"She's right, Mom," the King said. "We don't know this lioness, she may attack."

"Simba, Tama, please," the female lioness who had been referred to as the Queen mother said, waving them off. "If she wished to hurt me, she could have done so long before now. Can you not see you all have already frightened her half to death? Besides, she looks very familiar."

Nala flinched, jerking back slightly when the tawny lioness pushed her face closer. She was confused however, when the other did nothing but smile.

"I may be wrong about who I think you are," the female said, her head tilted to the side slightly. "But you remind me of someone I knew long ago. Does the name Sarafina mean anything to you?"

Nala nodded, still a bit frightened by these lions but slightly comfortable in the old Queen's proximity. "She was my mother."

"I see, no wonder you looked so familiar," she hummed. "Of course, you would have to be of some sort of relation to her. Sarafina was my age, slightly older, actually. There's no way she would look the same as she did the day she left the Pride Lands all those years ago. What is your name, child?"

"Nala," the creamy lioness murmured softly, eyes flicking from the former Queen to the lions behind her.

"And where are your mother and father," the tawny female asked, curious as to why Sarafina had not returned with her daughter.

"She… they…" Nala started, the tears welling in her eyes. "They were killed, three moons ago. My mother, my father, and my brother. I only managed to escape because of their sacrifice."

"I see," the lioness said before she turned back to her son and the other lionesses. "Stand down, you four. She's no threat to us."

"Queen Sarabi, surely you jest," the last lioness, this one with a chocolate coloured pelt, said, stunned by the elder lioness' demand. "How can we be sure that what she says is the truth? She could be a spy from another Pride, sent to watch us and report back to her Pride so that they may overthrow us."

"Enough, Kula," Sarabi said, glaring at the chocolate lioness whose ears immediately pinned down to her skull at how sternly the old Queen had spoken. "Sarafina is a former member of this Pride. She left to live with her mate's Pride long before any of you were born. She and her mate, Ni, were friends of myself and Mufasa. If anyone could be trusted, it's them and their offspring."

"Are you sure, Mom," the King asked, hesitant about how easily his mother trusted this lioness.

"Believe me, Simba," Sarabi answered, turning her attention back to the younger lioness who still looked scared out of her wits. "You have nothing to worry about with Nala. She can be trusted."

"Very well," the King, Simba, said as he turned to leave. "She may stay, but if she does anything…"

"Simba," his mother warned, growling lowly.

He left his warning hanging in the air as he and the other three females turned to leave. Sarabi shook her head as they faded from view before returning her attention to Nala, who had visibly relaxed once the group of young adults retreated.

"Please forgive my son and his friends, dear`," Sarabi pleaded, a soft smile gracing her muzzle. "After everything this Pride has endured for the last four years, it does not surprise me that they reacted the way that they did. I just wish that those children would learn to listen to reason instead of continuing to invoke unnecessary fear."

"What you endured," Nala asked, her brows creasing in confusion.

"You must not have heard," Sarabi hummed. "Four years ago, when Simba was but four moons old, he lost his father in a tragic accident. His Uncle, Scar, had convinced him that he'd been to blame for Mufasa's death before banishing him under the false pretense of murdering the King. He lived, for four years, thinking he'd been responsible for his father's death."

Nala's swallowed thickly at this information. Living most of your life thinking that you were responsible for your father's death was the worst thing any animal could ever endure. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the King, it couldn't have been easy living with that guilt. She should know, it actually was her fault her entire family had been killed. If she had just agreed to the Prince of the Riverside Pride's demands, maybe her parents and brother would still be alive today.

"While he lived in false guilt, his Uncle took over as King," Sarabi continued her tale. "Scar was a tyrant. He invited the hyenas into the Pride Lands, allowed them to over-hunt; choking the life out of the land that had once flourished in abundance before his reign. He broke ties with allying Kingdoms, ties that my son is trying his hardest to re-mend now. That is why they were so skeptical of you being a spy from a rival pride."

"Oh," Nala murmured.

She understood why the three lionesses and the King had reacted the way that they did to her. They were just trying to protect their land from a potential threat. If she had been in their position, she would have reacted the same way. She didn't blame them for wanting to protect what was theirs.

Sarabi could see that it was all clicking for Nala. While she was not pleased with her son or the lioness' behaviours, she also understood why they'd reacted the way that they had. And if it hadn't been for how much Nala resembled her late friend, she would have been just as skeptical as they had been.

"If it had not been for Tama, Kula and Jini, the lionesses that were present with my son today, he would not have returned when he did," Sarabi admitted. "We were led to believe that he was dead for so long. And when they'd accidentally found him while trying to find help, it took a lot of begging and pleading to get him to return to the Pride Lands and assume his place as the rightful King. When he did return, however, Scar attempted to sway our allegiance away from Simba by keeping up the lie of him being responsible for Mufasa's death. But he slipped up and exposed himself, before causing his own demise."

"I'm sorry that you and your Pride had to endure that," Nala expressed sincerely. "And I apologize for causing such unrest in such a delicate time, but I needed somewhere to go. And my parents always told me that if anything should ever happen to them, to come here where I would be welcomed."

"Don't apologize, Nala," Sarabi hummed. "It isn't your fault, you couldn't have possibly known that they would react the way that they did. I'm just thankful that I was present when they found you. I fear what they would have done in the name of defending the Pride against a trespasser."

Nala nodded. She'd been so scared that the three females were going to attack her the moment she gave them an opening. And then, when the King had arrived, she'd been even more frightened that her life would be over. She was thankful that Sarabi had stepped in when she did, sparing her a potential early death at the paws of lions only trying to protect their land from what they perceived as a threat.

"But enough about that," Sarabi said, getting to her paws again as she turned to head back to Pride Rock. "Let us get you settled in. I'm sure you are hungry and thirsty."

"I am," Nala said, following the elder lioness' lead. "Thank you, Sarabi, for everything."

"No need to thank me, child," Sarabi assured her. "You are the daughter of my best friend. This is just as much your home as it was hers. Even if my son and his friends were not as welcoming as I know they can be. Give them time to come around."

Nala merely nodded, following behind the elderly Queen, back to Pride Rock.

…

"I don't know how I feel about this," Tama grumbled, plopping down beside a dark maned, golden lion. "Sarabi is way too trusting, far too easily. How do we know that this Nala isn't really some spy that happens to be related to someone that the Queen mother knows? What if…"

"Tama, I think you're blowing this way out of proportion," a lion with a sun-kissed brown mane and beige pelt, said looking over at the hair tuffed lioness. "Don't get me wrong, we should definitely be wary of any newcomers. Especially after what happened with Zira recently. But if Sarabi, of all lions, is vouching for her… I think we can trust this Nala lion."

"I don't know Tojo," Simba said. "I'm kinda with your sister on this one. What if she is someone who was sent to spy on us and just so happens to be this Sarafina's daughter? We don't know for sure whether the story she told us is true or not. We have every reason to be skeptical."

"While that may be, Tojo actually is right," the dark maned lion lying next to Tama finally spoke. "Sarabi vouching for her should be enough to give this lioness the benefit of the doubt. She hasn't exactly done anything to warrant suspicion, has she?" When no one answered, he continued. "Exactly. Give her a chance to prove herself before you go passing judgment on her. From the way she reacted to you, based on what you're telling us, you scared the hell out of her. She probably thought you were going to kill her."

"I would have and still will if she gets out of line," Tama scoffed.

"Don't be like that, sis," the beige lion, Tojo, said glancing over at his twin sister from his seat on the ground by Jini. "Everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves. Like Malka said, she hasn't done anything to warrant all this animosity. Chill out and let the girl prove herself. Y'all are always so quick to judge someone you don't even know."

"Thank you, Tojo," the voice of the Queen Mother broke through.

Seven heads turned to look at the old Queen, who was standing only a few feet away from them; an unamused look on her face. They all wondered just how much of their conversation she had heard.

"Where is the lioness," Simba asked, gazing at his mother.

"_Nala_ is resting at the far side of the cave," Sarabi answered, glaring at her son. One would think, after everything he'd been through, he would be sympathetic to the poor lioness. "I've sent Dwala and Diku to fetch food and water for her. The poor girl was tired, hungry, and thirsty. It doesn't' help that you all frightened her half to death. Now, I expect you all to treat Nala as a member of this Pride, just as you treat everyone else. If you are still curious about who she is and if she can be trusted, I suggest you ask your parents about Sarafina and Ni. Now, tomorrow, Simba, I want you to take Nala on a tour of the Pride Lands. This is the first time she's ever set paw in this territory and she will need to know where she can go and where she cannot. As King, it is your responsibility to do just that. And while you do so, I encourage you to get to know her. Then, you will see how wrong you were about her."

"I don't think it's such a good idea for him to be alone with her," Tama interjected quietly. Her ears pinned down to her head when Sarabi fixed her with a stern glare. "What I mean is, one never knows who is lurking out there and we cannot leave the King unprotected. Especially after the Zira fiasco."

"Then Tama, if you are so concerned with his safety, why don't you join them," Sarabi suggested, irking a brow at the beige lioness before she glanced at all seven young adults. "As a matter of fact, I would like _all_ of you to join them. It will give you a chance to get to know our new Pride member. That way, you lot can put all of these silly worries about her being a spy from a rival Pride to rest. I will inform Nala of what is happening tomorrow, as well as Zazu. He will tag along to keep an eye on you four especially and will report back to me if you treat her poorly. Do I make myself clear?"

"Of course, Sarabi," Chumvi said smiling up at the tawny lioness. "Malka, Tojo and I will also keep these guys in check and make sure Nala feels welcomed to the Pride."

"Thank you, Chumvi," Sarabi said as she turned to walk away. "Now, you will speak no more of this nonsense about not trusting Nala. Am I understood?"

"Of course," everyone answered quietly.

"Good, get some rest," Sarabi said as she walked away, heading in the direction of where she'd left Nala. "You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

When she was no longer in earshot, Jini finally spoke. "Maybe we should try to give her a chance. I mean, it's not like she tried to fight us when we first found her. And she looked so scared. I kinda felt bad for the way that we treated her. And if Aunt Sarabi is this animate that she isn't a threat, maybe we should take her word for it. I mean, she really hasn't done anything to make us suspicious."

"Jini's right," Kula admitted solemnly. "She could have attacked Sarabi the second she was in paw's reach or right after we left them alone, but she didn't. I think that's reason enough to trust her for now."

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Tama agreed. She blew a sigh, letting her head rest against Malka's mane. "We'll get to know her, and until she does something to make us think otherwise, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt."

"I have no choice but to do the same," Simba agreed with a heavy sigh. "Well, we'd better get some rest. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

* * *

**well, it looks like simba and co are not exactly trusting of nala right away, and for good reason. the situation with zira will be addressed in the next chapter, that way y'all understand why they reacted to her the way that they did. anyways, let me know what you thought in a review. until next time, ciao.**


	3. Chapter Two

**sorry about the delay, and the short(ish) chapter. but, this was just a filler of a sort. i needed to straighten things out between the king and co and nala. anyways, enjoy my dears. until next time.**

* * *

**Jealous**

**Authored By: MadgeWriter**

* * *

.i don't own the lion king.

* * *

-2-

Nala was awake before the sun had even risen. Though she'd slept for several hours, it wasn't a peaceful sleep. The encounter with the King and his friends continued to replay in the back of her subconscious, triggering nightmares of what could have happened had Sarabi not been present. The nightmare felt so real, the feeling of claws tearing through her skin remained even after she'd woken.

Sarabi had informed the creamy lioness that Simba and his friends would be giving her a tour of the lands the next day when they'd all risen. And Nala guessed that, that had been the reason for her nightmare. She feared what they would do to her when the Queen wasn't around to watch them. What if they still felt she was a spy intent on bringing their Pride to it's knees? What if one of the females attacked her while she wasn't looking? So many scenarios played in the back of her mind as she watched the sun rise above the horizon, bringing about the new day. She swallowed thickly. It was just a matter of time before her guides awoke and they departed. She just hoped that she would live to see the sun set and the moon rise again.

Nala allowed her head to rest on her paws as she gazed at the rising sun, a sad smile gracing her muzzle. She and her father would always watch the sun rise together when she was only a cub, too curious to sleep past dawn. And because her father had been part of the patrol guard for her birth pride, he was always up before the sun rose. It had been their sacred time together. She wished she hadn't taken those moments for granted now, seeing as she'd never experience one ever again.

Blowing a deep sigh, her eyes slid shut as she willed the tears not to fall anew. She'd cried enough over the last three moons for the loss of her family. It was time that she face the fact that what was done, was done. There was nothing that she could do to change what had happened. All she could do was treasure the memories she had of her family for the rest of her life. The way her elder brother would always tease her. Or how overprotective he'd been of her when any of the other cubs would pick on her. The way her mother's eyes sparkled when she was genuinely happy. Or the way she knew exactly what to say and when to say it whenever Nala, her father or her brother would need to hear it most. The way her father laughed at one of her many corny jokes as if it had been the greatest joke ever told. Or how safe she would feel in his presence, no matter what.

She'd been so lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the hornbill that flew in, stopping just before her. He'd stood there and stared at her for a time, drinking in her appearance before he'd made his presence known. "You really do look just as your mother did when she left to be with her mate all those years ago."

Startled, Nala glanced up at the bird, surprised that she hadn't noticed him before then. The hornbill must have noticed her surprise, immediately apologizing for startling her.

"Forgive me, Miss Nala," the blue bird said genuinely. "It was not my intent to startle you. I just couldn't help but notice how much you resembled your mother at that age."

"You knew my mother," Nala asked, curious. She didn't even wonder how he'd known her name. She figured Sarabi must have told him, "Really?"

"Of course, I could never forget a lioness as loved as Sarafina had been," the bird informed her. He paused for a moment, before flapping his wings wildly, realizing he'd yet to introduce himself to the newcomer. "Forgive my rudeness, I've yet to introduce myself. I am Zazu, Majordomo to the royal family. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"The pleasure is all mine," Nala responded in kind, a small smile pulling at the edges of her muzzle. Something he'd said had caught her attention. "My mother was loved in this Pride?"

"Why yes, everyone adored Sarafina," Zazu hummed with a slight nod of his head. "She and the Queen were practically inseparable until she met your father and moved away to be with him. She was also revered as one of the greatest huntresses this Pride had ever known. She's actually the reason the former King and the Queen Mother met."

"Oh," Nala said, blinking.

"But that's a tale for another time," Zazu said, getting to the reason he'd come to see her. "The reason I've come is because Queen Mother, Sarabi requested that I tag along with yourself, the King and his friends on your tour through the Pride Lands today. Sarabi wishes for me to keep an eye on Simba, Jini, Kula and Tama, just to make sure that they do not mistreat you during this journey."

Nala smiled. Even though Sarabi would not be present for this little excursion, she was taking steps to make sure that Nala was treated fairly by the King and his friends. She would have to remember to thank the tawny lioness for her thoughtfulness the next time that she saw her.

"I will go wake the King and the others," Zazu informed her as he took to the air again. "Then we will get started on this journey. We have much ground to cover and it will take all day to do so. And please know that if you have any questions and you are not comfortable asking the King or his friends, you may direct them to me. I will be happy to answer."

"Thank you, Zazu," Nala said politely before he flew away, intent on waking Simba and his friends as quickly as possible.

The creamy lioness ambled to her paws, stretching to wake her sleeping muscles before walking through the mouth of the cave into the warming morning air. Perhaps she would sit on the promontory and await his royal highness and his friends. It would give her a chance to clear her mind, as well as pray that they don't have a repeat performance of the previous day when they'd found her.

…

Simba groaned when he felt something akin to a bird beak pecking at his side whilst he slept. Using his forepaw, he swatted at whatever the nagging feeling was; smiling in his sleep when it stopped, only for it to start all over again. Scarlet eyes snapped open, glaring down at the hornbill who finally stopped pecking him the moment he'd woken up.

Simba groaned, "Gosh Zazu, what is it? Can't a guy get some much-deserved sleep?"

He was tired, unable to sleep comfortably the night before. The fear that Nala may bring disaster to the Pride continued to eat away at him, even after he'd promised he'd try to give her a chance. Still being new to his role as King, he didn't think he was ready to deal with such a hurdle if it was one that he would have to face in light of allowing her to stay within his land.

"You may when you do not have prior obligations that must be fulfilled," Zazu responded, not missing a beat. "Miss Nala has woken and is prepared for her tour of the lands. I am merely performing a complimentary wake up call for yourself and the others."

Simba groaned. He had forgotten his mother asked, no, _demanded_ that he and his friends take the newcomer on a tour of the lands. And as much as he wanted to not do so, he knew that he couldn't disobey his mother. It didn't matter that he was now the King. If she caught wind that he'd disobeyed her, that would be his tail. And he didn't want that.

"Please prepare yourself to depart," Zazu stated as he turned to hop away. "I shall go and retrieve the others that will also be partaking in this little excursion. I expect to see you at the mouth of the cave by the time I've rallied the others."

"Of course, Zazu," Simba said, getting to his paws.

He stretched, waking sleeping muscles before shaking out his mane. He used his front paws to rub his face, trying to erase the sleepiness he still felt. It was far too early for him to be awake.

"I expect you will treat Nala with kindness today, Simba," his mother's voice said suddenly.

He glanced to his side to see that she'd woken and was staring intently at him with small, scarlet eyes. Swallowing thickly, he shook his head yes. He'd try to be nice to her. As Malka and Tojo had pointed out the night before, she hadn't exactly done anything to warrant him being so skeptical of her. But, he couldn't help the way that he felt, given events that happened shortly after his coronation.

Zira, who had joined the Pride shortly after Scar had taken control of the Pride Lands, had been unhappy with Simba being crowned the new (and rightful) King. She and several of her followers had ambushed Simba just days after he'd been crowned, managing to severely injure the younger lion. If it hadn't been for his friends arriving when they had, they would have gotten away with killing him, as Zira had originally intended.

Tama, Kula, Chumvi and Jini had managed to hold the small group of lionesses off long enough for Malka and Tojo to carry Simba away. Rafiki had been called to help Simba while the boys explained to Sarabi what had happened to her son. Meanwhile, Tama, Jini, Chumvi and Kula had managed to restrain the group before leading them back to Pride Rock where Sarabi demanded to know why it was that they'd attacked her son. When Zira said that he should have died in the stampede alongside Mufasa, Sarabi had lost it, lunging for the lioness. If it hadn't been for Malka catching her, they were sure Sarabi would have done serious damage to the other lioness.

Shortly after her outburst, Sarabi condemned Zira and anyone that decided to follow her into exile in the Outlands. Zira left without a fight, but not before threatening to bring the Pride Lands to its knees, no matter what it took.

Sighing deeply, Simba nodded his head. He'd definitely _try _not to pass too much judgement on Nala without actually knowing her. He'd give her a chance to prove herself, show that she wasn't a threat to him or his Pride the way that Zira and Scar had been.

"I'll try to be nice," Simba promised. "But after Scar and Zira, I can't help but be a little skeptical of newcomers. But, I'll give her a chance to prove herself before I pass too much judgement."

"That's all I ask," Sarabi said, offering a soft smile as she turned over on her side to go back to sleep. "Besides, maybe you may end up falling for her in the long run. You will need to find a lioness to be your Queen, soon, after all."

"Mom, seriously," Simba groaned as he turned to walk away.

He could hear his mother laughing behind him as he walked away. He absolutely refused to think about finding a mate right now. He had far more pressing things on his mind that demanded his attention than finding a Queen at the moment. Like the threat of Zira and if he'd be able to re-mend the broken ties with neighboring kingdoms that his Uncle had destroyed during his reign. He'd worry about finding a Queen when things finally calmed down enough that he could put his focus into it. The last thing he needed was to commit to a Queen that would run his kingdom into the ground.

Shaking his head to himself, Simba stepped out of the den and into the light of the rising sun. When he glanced up, he caught sight of Nala sitting on the promontory, gazing out at the lands below. Her cream coloured fur glimmered beautifully in the sunlight, giving her an almost ethereal glow. She was definitely beautiful, Simba would be lying to himself if he said he thought otherwise.

Padding softly to the end of the promontory, he took a seat beside the creamy lioness, startling her slightly. She glanced up when she realized the King was sitting beside her, almost looking as if she were afraid he'd attack her out the blue. Simba, noticing her discomfort, tried to offer a reassuring smile.

"I apologize about yesterday," he started, glancing down at her. "We've been through a lot in this Pride and the last thing I want is to let my guard down and let someone slip through the cracks that we can't trust. Especially after recent events…"

"I know, Queen Sarabi told me about your Uncle and what your Pride endured," Nala hummed, glancing back out at the land again. "I'm sorry that you were put through all of that. If I had known, I would have been a lot more cautious about entering your land when I did."

"Thank you, for that," Simba said, genuinely. "But, there's more to it than that. Yes, my Uncle put us through a great deal. Destroying the Pride Lands and all the ties that we had with neighboring kingdoms, there was another situation that happened only days after I was crowned King."

Nala's brow shot up, her head turning to glance at the King. Something else had happened to make him like this. What could this poor lion have possibly had to endure on top of being falsely accused of murder?

"I was out on patrol," Simba explained when she didn't say anything, taking it as a sign that she was listening. "Being King of the land, I wanted to go out and make sure that everything was running smoothly. That there were not any problems amongst the herds, just regular kingly duties that I'd seen my father partake in as a cub. That's when I was ambushed by a lioness that was a follower of my Uncle's and several followers of her own. They believed me to be unfit as King. They nearly killed me."

"If it hadn't been for us showing up when we did," a new, female voice said, "Simba would've died that day. So, I hope you can understand why we reacted the way that we did to you yesterday."

Both the King and Nala turned to see who it was that had spoken. To Nala's surprise, it was the lioness with the hair tuft she recognized as Tama. Behind her were the other two females, Kula and Jini as well as three males she hadn't seen the day before. She figured they must have been the other friends Sarabi had told her about the night before when she informed her they would be giving her a tour of the Pride Lands the next morning.

"Everyone is very protective of my cousin and this land," the almost white lioness, Jini, said stepping forward. "So, when a newcomer comes along, we're very cautious about that animal. I apologize if we scared you yesterday. We were just being cautious."

"We definitely could have handled the situation better," Kula, the chocolate coloured lioness, said. "But when you've been through what we have, well… you kinda jump to the worst conclusions before hearing the animal you're accusing out."

Nala smiled slightly. She appreciated that they were apologizing to her for their behaviour the previous day. After Sarabi had explained what happened, she understood why they'd reacted that way. But she found it to be very big of them to apologize even though she knew in her heart of hearts, she would have reacted the same way if she'd been through half of what they had.

"I also apologize, on everyone's behalf, for the way we acted even after my mother informed us that you weren't a threat," Simba spoke up. "She told me about your mother and father. Your mother had been a good friend of hers in the past. And since my mom seems to trust you, I think we can try to do the same."

Nala couldn't help the side of her muzzle curving upwards into a smile. It was good to know that they would try to trust her, and she planned to do everything in her power to make sure she proved herself.

"Now, I think we have a tour to give," Jini said smiling as she stepped forward, nodding for the King and Nala to lead the way. "Let's get going guys, we've got a lot of ground to cover after all."

Simba nodded, taking the lead, Nala following close behind. Jini, Tama, Kula, Chumvi, Malka and Tojo followed closed behind, making their way down the side of Pride Rock. Simba hoped that nothing happened during this outing.


End file.
